The month of November is one that encourages us to remember . . .

We begin with All Saints’ Day – a celebration of those men and women whose lives, it is said, afford us the opportunity to glimpse heaven in our midst. In remembering these saints we can be inspired and encouraged on our own Christian journey.

On All Souls' Day we remember our loved ones who have died; the long list of names which is read in our churches reminds us of those who have gone before us, not only from our own families, but also from the Church family.

Soon after we might well find ourselves recalling the words of an old nursery rhyme : ‘Remember, remember the 5th of November : gunpowder, treason and plot’.

In 1605, Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder and subsequently tried by Judge Popham as a traitor with his co-conspirators for plotting against the government and afterwards executed; the death sentence given to him reflected the serious nature of the crime of treason.

While many may recall Guy Fawkes, I wonder how many remember the name of Lancelot Andrewes? Interestingly, during the year following Fawkes’ execution, it became an annual custom for the King and Parliament to commission a special sermon to commemorate the event and it was Lancelot Andrewes who delivered the first of many ‘Gunpowder Plot Sermons’ – a practice that, together with the nursery rhyme, ensured that this particular crime would never be forgotten!

On Remembrance Sunday we remember that :

‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow
between the crosses, row on row’

and give thanks for all those who have laid down their lives in war in the cause of justice and freedom, both in the past and in the present.

As the leaves begin to fall from the trees forming russet carpets at our feet and the weather turns dank and dismal, we might even find ourselves remembering those lazy, hazy days of summer spent messing about on the river, surfing in sunshine or happy, ice-cream-filled holidays. 

Such is November, the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’: a time for remembering, for celebrating saints, for asking for God’s mercy for sinners, for refusing to forget all those whose lives were cut short by war.

The Bible has much to say about remembering, which is hardly surprising considering how forgetful we humans are. Indeed, I read somewhere that the word

‘remember’ occurs some 166 times in the Bible and a further 75 times in various other forms. For example, the preacher of the book of Ecclesiastes advises us to: ‘Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them” (12. 1).

The Bible talks about God remembering and not remembering too:

‘As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust’ (Psalm 103. 13 – 14). We are repeatedly told that God remembers the covenant made with God’s people; God makes promises and keeps them. Yet God also promises : ‘I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more’ (Hebrews 8. 12).

Memory, at its simplest I would suggest, allows us the indulgence of recalling happy times and enjoying them at our leisure. For Christians though, memory is more than this; it is perhaps one of God’s greatest gifts to us for it enables us to build on past experiences, increase our knowledge and build a better future. The words of a hymn traditionally sung on Remembrance Sunday are particularly relevant: ‘O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.’  The memory of past blessings enjoyed serves to assure us that the God who walked beside us in the past remains with us now; God will walk with us into the future.

In planning for a school assembly last week I remembered the story of Saint Martin of Tours, a compassionate fourth century soldier, who encountered a shivering beggar on a cold winter night. Having no money in his purse, this soldier took off his cloak and slashed it with his sword to give half of it to the beggar. Later that night he saw a vision in which Jesus Christ was wearing the half-cloak. As a result of this experience he became a Christian and was baptised. Ultimately, he left the army to devote his life to the church and, in time, became the patron saint of the French kings of the middle-ages. St Martin's cloak (cappella) was carried into battle by the kings as a banner signifying the presence of God, but since the cappella was a sacred relic of the church, a priest went along as custodian. This keeper of the cloak, or ‘Cappellanus’ as he was known, also tended the king's religious needs and from his office, was derived that of ‘chaplain.’ The depository for the cloak became the ‘chapel’, the place of worship.

Like chaplains, all Christians are encouraged to meet people where they are at and to walk alongside them on their journey through life, living and sharing the gospel. Therefore, as we journey towards Advent, may we remember those people who have been a real inspiration and encouragement to us and give thanks for them, since it is the memory of their example which should lead us to live better lives today, tomorrow and the next day. 

With every blessing,

Wendy